Who can sleep until the afternoon when it is 30C all night. After getting up at 8:00 and waiting till noon I deserted my German travel group in spe and went to the Minca collectivo station myself. It is not really a bus station. Most people use colectivos here. Little vans that wait at certain street corners and depart whenever they are full (like the sherruts in Israel). This bus brought me into the nearby mountain range of the Sierra Nevada. It is just 650m higher than Santa Marta but already significantly more comfortable in temperature.
The town itself is still quite original, dusty roads, local shops and vendors on the street. But there are also 1-2 gringo restaurants with Wi-Fi. Higher up along the streets there are hostels that target mainly eco-tourists and hikers. “Hikers” yeah, that mains mainly German speaking people (including Austrian and Swiss). The whole area is covered by them. Especially when you leave the town and walk along the jungle tracks you will find many little cafes, organic restaurants with beautiful gardens, and an iconic coffee roasting factory far up in the maintains. All owned by “Germanic” immigrants. It gives the whole place of strange feeling of home if there wasn't the tropical rainforest around you, covered in wild coffee and banana plants. Mangoes are falling from the trees all around you. So you can just pick them up for a little snack.
way to the hostel
hostel backyard
On my first day I decided to do a little hike to a nearby waterfall (Pozo Azul). It was very busy here, but not from backpackers. It is Saturday and all the local people from Santa Marta get on there Motorbikes to have a swim here.
Afterwards I decided to walk for another 1.5h to the coffee plantation. It is actually a whole little Settlement (Victoria) of people that all work on the coffee. The walk up there was just stunningly beautiful though still quite warm and humid (you walk uphill all the time).
finally at the coffee farm
after my 3 hours up I had to realize that the coffee factory is actually closed. However, they still had a little café open that would serve local coffee from the farm (for free). I guess now its time to go down again.
The area around is save regarding crime but the street has more holes than anything. Without a torch I am not sure if I would make down in the dark :D.
breakfast for tomorrow
I had some ice-cream at a little both next to the road. Of cause, it was owned by a German. We had a really nice chat about the life here in Colombia. Most German migrants came to Minca just after Colombia became reasonably save again and settled in the mountain ranges around here. Now they are complaining about all the German tourists here. I guess some stereotypes are just true (Hiking destination = full of German speakers)
Unfortunately he kept me staying until sunset which made my way down a real pain in the ass. Luckily a local guy offered me a ride on his motorbike. I am not sure if I actually made it saver (remember, the road was in a very VERY bad condition). It was rather a rollercoaster ride and not much faster than walking but more fun after all. So I arrived after just 10 more minutes back in Minca and could enjoy a beautiful view down to Minca from my hostel terrace :D
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